Practice question

Molten globule represents folding intermediate retaining native-like secondary structure but lacking specific tight tertiary packing of side chains. Far-ultraviolet CD remains native-like, indicating preserved helices and sheets. Near-ultraviolet CD, which depends on rigid asymmetric environment of aromatic residues, collapses because side chains become dynamic and symmetric averaging occurs to near zero. Observing strong far-ultraviolet but loss of near-ultraviolet CD near 280 nanometers is classical diagnostic criterion for molten globule. Increase in extinction reflects solvent exposure, red shift reflects polarity change, not definitive molten globule definition itself.